(a) Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a system for containing or caging animals. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a collapsible container for holding animals. The container being particularly useful for holding animals during transport.
(b) Known Art
The need to provide temporary housing for the storage or containment of animals has long been addressed by providing small cages or containers that hold the animal during transport or while housing the animal for a short time. A serious problem with these cages has been that they occupy the same amount of space when in use as well as when vacant. Therefore, artisans have provided collapsing carriers which occupy significantly less space when collapsed and not in use. Known devices, however, have left important problems relating to structural rigidity, structural efficiency, and ease of operation unsolved.
An example of known collapsible pet carriers is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,818 to Wilson. The Wilson device includes a pair of vertical sidewalls that collapse and a hinged roof that collapses over the sidewalls, retaining the sidewalls between the floor and the roof when the device is in a collapsed position. A significant disadvantage of this arrangement is that the overall structure becomes highly unstable when the roof panes have been sized in order to ensure that the roof panels lie flat against the side panels when the device is in a collapsed configuration.
The instability results from the fact that in order to have a roof of substantially equal, hinged halves which lie flat over and against side panels that are also made from substantially equal halves, the resulting roof structure will be a structure that will tend to collapse due to a lack of support from the side panels.
Another known device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,540 to Yamamoto. The Yamamoto device includes inwardly collapsing walls, a top with four vertical sidewalls and a bottom with four vertical sidewalls. The ends and the collapsing walls nest within the vertical sidewalls of the top and bottom when the device is in a collapsed configuration. The Yamamoto device offers important advantages in applications where small pets are to be transported. Unfortunately, however, the Yamamoto device is disadvantaged in that the vertical sidewalls of the top and bottom limit the ratio of collapsibility of the device. Furthermore, the Yamamoto device is well suited for applications where small pets are to be transported, and which can be positioned under an airplane seat or similar location. This arrangement, however, is not particularly well suited for situations where many animals are to be transported, such as where several large dogs are to be transported in an aircraft.
Another device in which the top and bottom include vertical sidewalls is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,842 to Jones Jr. The Jones Jr. device, while operating in a different manner than the Yamamoto device, suffers from substantially the same disadvantages as the Yamamoto device.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there remains a need for a collapsible pet carrier which provides a structurally efficient, rigid structure when expanded, and which provides advantages while transporting or housing several animals. Such and advantage could be gained by providing collapsible pet carriers that are stackable in a stable, orderly manner. Known collapsing pet houses or carriers such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,109,427 and 4,085,762 to O'Brian et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,446 to Voss, U.S Pat. No. 4,603,658 to Garnsey, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,831 to St. Onge include sloping roofs which do not allow convenient stacking of the devices.
Therefore, it will be understood that there remains a need for a collapsible pet carrier that can be stacked to allow transport of many pets.
There remains a need for a collapsing pet carrier that exhibits structural rigidity and structural efficiency, to allow stacking and unburdensome transport.
There remains a need for a collapsible pet carrier that can be stacked and provide access to the pets while the devices are stacked.
Still further, there remains a need for a collapsible pet carrier that is light and easy to carry.
There remains a need for a collapsible pet carrier that can be easily stacked and arranged next to one another such that the several carriers can be transported together with ease and stability.